28 February 2007

This lovely donkey and cart, called Ane Attele, was sculpted by Francois-Xavier Lalanne in 1988. It sits atop a pretty grassed area in the middle of Fontvieille, the area of Monaco reclaimed from the sea. Lalanne often works with his wife, Claude - if you click on this Amazon link and scroll down the page, you can read more about them - click here.

26 February 2007

Monaco is famous for its Circus. Here you see just the tips of the Big Top. To the left, in the foreground, is an entrance to one of the many underground car parks in Monaco - all of which are free for the first hour.

25 February 2007

Taken on a rather grey day in Monte Carlo, this is one of the rather nice buildings in the pedestrian street, rue Princesse Caroline. Really just to show you that not all Monaco buildings are skyscrapers - indeed, now it's forbidden to build higher than, (I believe, not sure) 5 storeys.

23 February 2007

There are two ports in Monaco. One is the old port where all the big boats are moored and where the massive liners come in. The other is the small port of Fontvieille, of which a small part is pictured here.

Fontvieille is the area of Monaco that is on land re-claimed from the sea. Contruction started in 1966 and it added 22 hectares to the area of the Principality. Work finished in 1973 and then the construction of the buildings began and this new quarter of Monaco started to develop. Fontvieille is probably the quietest part of Monaco, except perhaps for the noise from the heliport. It has many beautiful and very expensive apartment buildings. The circus is here, shops, a veterinarian, and many little restaurants sit around the water. The main supermarket of Monaco, called Carrefour, is also located in Fontvieille.

The port itself covers approximately 8 hectares and has berths for 160 vessels. Its size however doesn't permit it to accept vessels more than 30 metres in length.

22 February 2007

The Galerie du Métropole is a shopping centre with 80 boutiques on three floors, lit by magnificient period chandeliers and with exquisite marble floors. On the lower level is FNAC, a great store selling music, DVDs, everything you could dream of for your computer. It sells cameras, telephones - the latest technology is always here first. It's also a great place to browse books. It's always packed and buzzes with energy. You'll find FNAC stores throughout France. Probably my favourite shop.

Look carefully and you'll see a fat labrador in the café below. He's got his own red bowl filled with water. Monaco caters for man and man's best friend.

19 February 2007

Stars 'n' Bars is a trendy sports bar and club on the port of Monaco. I had lunch there yesterday with friends - Eggs Benedict and a glass of white wine - should you be interested! Great atmosphere and always buzzing with people. Here's the website: Stars 'n' Bars. The cow was made by the Nice sculptor, Stéphane Cipre.

18 February 2007

January is when the circus comes to Monte Carlo. It's held in the Big Top in Fontvielle, which is the area of Monaco reclaimed from the sea. During the day you can wander around looking at the animals which are kept in enclosures just outside the tent. Here you see one of two giraffes against a backdrop of the hills above. Princesse Stephanie has always had a passion for the circus and it is her job to check the condition of the animals each day. I tried to take a photograph of her rushing about but she is too quick and too experienced at dodging nosey photographers, especially amateur ones like me.

17 February 2007

Here you see part of the interior of the famous Café de Paris brasserie - taken one morning before the lunchtime invasion. You can see a close up of one of the beautiful screens in a previous post called Café de Paris (15 February 2007)

11 February 2007

View of the palace from the rear. This was taken from the area below near to Carrefour supermarket and in front of the new port of Monaco. Presumably Prince Albert wasn't in residence as there is no flag flying.

10 February 2007

09 February 2007

Overlooking Casino Square, this is perhaps the most famous hotel in Monte Carlo. To the right you see Alain Ducasse's famous restaurant, Le Louis XV. On the left, after you go up the main steps, is the American Bar, which is great for people-watching and enjoying an exceptional glass of champagne whilst listening to the pianist.